I can't believe the secret of Pandora's Quadrangle was space bugs! — Dib Membrane

Invader Zim Issue
Issue 46
Chronology
Previous:	Issue 45
Next:	Issue 47
Information
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	August 28, 2019
Creative
Story by:	Sam Logan
Art by:	Maddie C
Color by:	Fred C. Stresing

Official Summary

When ZIM and Dib receive the same Irken distress signal from the stormiest place on Earth-Pandora's Quadrangle-they both race to answer it. But the horrible surprise at the Quadrangle's core will lead them both (and GIR! Don't forget GIR!) to a far corner of the universe, and a world where neither of them are welcome. Part one of a four-part story!

Release

Issue 46 was released on August 28, 2019.

Variations

Issue #46 has a total of 2 cover variations. 

1. Maddie C standard retail cover
2. Simon Troussellier variant cover
3. Rose City Exclusive

Characters in Issue #46 (In Order of Appearance)

Synopsis

The issue starts with Zim about to destroy Dib with his latest experiment: the Car-Nivore, a human-eating robot that's made of automobiles, which has the mission to turn all cars against humanity.

Or that was the plan, but the Car-Nivore refuses to obey Zim, due to GIR failing to install an obedience module on it. But just when the robot is about to feast on Dib, its head hits a pole, causing the airbags to deploy and remove Car-Nivore's brain, leaving it to crash. Zim leaves the fight defeated, and Dib gets traumatized.

Back at his base, Zim wonders why his plans are always failing (ignoring the fact that it might be his own fault), and fears that the Tallest will be disappointed in him. As soon as he states that, the computer detects an Irken distress signal coming from the Atlantic Ocean. Zim, thinking the Irken might be his replacement, decides to follow the signal, hoping that rescuing the interloper might remind the Tallest of his greatness as an Invader. Despite the computer's warnings, Zim and GIR fly off to the signal's source on the Voot Runner.

In the Membrane household garage, Dib is still traumatized from almost being eaten by Car-Nivore, while Tak's ship assures him that Zim is too stupid for his plans to ever work, and that if there was a more competent Invader on Earth, things would be very different.

As it states that, the ship also picks up the distress signal, and Dib discovers that its exact location is in Pandora's Quadrangle, the stormiest place on Earth where multiple ships and aircraft have mysteriously vanished. Upon learning that Zim is also after the signal, Dib fears that the two Irkens might team up, so he hops on Tak's ship to beat Zim to the signal.

Once his ship approaches the Quadrangle, Zim notices a huge tear in reality surrounding it, and then discovers that Dib has followed him to the signal. The Irken tries to blast the other ship, but the weapons are jammed due to interference from the Quadrangle, so instead GIR is deployed to deal with Dib.

Tak's ship also states that the Quadrangle is trying to pull them in. The closer the Voot gets to the tear, the more damaged the computer gets, but Zim is determined to get inside at all costs.

Upon entering the Quadrangle, the Voot crash lands on a small planet, but Zim manages to survive and so does the computer, albeit barely. Upon inspecting the planet, Zim notices that he is surrounded by multiple crashed Voot Runners just like his, but doesn't have enough time to think about it before he gets captured by mysterious bug creatures.

Meanwhile, Dib and GIR also get pulled into the Quadrangle and crash on the planet's surface. The duo manage to make it out alive, but the computer on Tak's ship gets damaged to the point of unresponsiveness. Because of GIR's yelling, they accidentaly attract other bug creatures that proceed to chase them, but they manage to save themselves by means of Dib falling in a hole that leads to an underground cave.

Back to Zim, it is shown that he's being held captive in a mysterious location with a numbered collar on his neck, and demands to know the identity of the mysterious bug creatures.

One of them, to show the Irken who he's dealing with, removes its helmet to reveal something that deeply surprises Zim.

Meanhwile, Dib and GIR are still underground, and are lost. They eventually manage to find an exit, only for Dib to find his most hideous nightmare coming to fruition: a town full of copies of Zim!

"To be continued..."

Facts of Doom 

• This is the sixth multi-part story in the comic series, the previous ones being Issues 1-2, 22-25, 29-30, 34-35, and 42-43.
• Simon Troussellier’s variant cover is a spoof of one of the promotional posters for the mecha anime series Gurren Lagann.
• This was the first issue released after the release of Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus.
• Tak gets mentioned twice by GIR in this issue, and both times Zim doesn't remember whom he's talking about. This is strange, as he had previously mentioned Tak by name in Issue 2 and Issue 12.
• GIR also mentions Skoodge coming to Earth, which would have happened in the canceled episodes starting with "Day of Da Spookies!"; Zim not remembering this may be an acknowledgement of how these episodes were never made and are therefore of questionable canonicity.
• Recap Kid mentions the Virooz arc, which was the last time that the comics did a four-part story. They also compare Zim's obsession with Li'l Meat Man in the previous issue to his giving out of meat to trick-or-treaters in Issue 36.
• The story arc begun in this issue is the fourth time that the multiverse is mentioned in Invader Zim, the first being in Issue 5, the second time in Issue 32, and the third time in Issue 40.
• Pandora's Quadrangle is a clear parody of the Bermuda Triangle.
• This is the first issue with a number ending in a "6" to not be a oneshot written and drawn by a guest artist.
• There is a typo on page 8, where "Irken" is spelled "Ikren."
• Zim and GIR briefly mention an Irken named Thoob, who like Tak and Skoodge came to Earth at some point, only to die. This is likely just a gag meant to highlight Zim's inability to properly remember things, as Thoob as never previously been mentioned (with his one panel appearance here having a note acknowledging that it's his first appearance).

References